


I don't want you to be hurt

by Katia_Anyway



Category: Bleach
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Rated T for a bit of sexually charged kissing at the end, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Toshirou appears for like 5 seconds, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Momo/Shinji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23752693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katia_Anyway/pseuds/Katia_Anyway
Summary: Momo has a crush on her new Captain and that just won't do for Rangiku. Mostly because Shinji is in love with Hiyori, but also a bit because Rangiku might have feelings for Momo herself... Not that she will admit it anytime soon.OrShinji is so absorbed by trying to understand why Hiyori is giving him the silent treatment that he doesn't notice Momo making heart eyes at him until a very mad Rangiku stomps into his office to chew him about it.
Relationships: Hinamori Momo/Hirako Shinji, Hinamori Momo/Matsumoto Rangiku, Hirako Shinji/Sarugaki Hiyori
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	1. Part I

**Author's Note:**

> This thing was supposed to be 3000 words long, with only the first part. But then, I decided I couldn't leave it at that and it kind of avalanched out of proportions! So here is the full thing, enjoy!

Rangiku walked into the Fifth division, going straight to the Captain's Office.  
She had made sure Momo would be out on her lunch break so she wouldn't know about this.  
She opened the door without knocking and startled the bored looking Captain.

“Hirako-san” she called him in order to make it clear she was here on personal business “We need to talk about Momo.”

The Captain put down the brush he had been using to fill his paperwork.

“What about Momo?” He asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Rangiku sat down, looking for a way to put this simply.

She was worried about her friend, very worried.

After what Aizen had done to Momo, she was left with a heart not only broken but torn to pieces. She had been a hollow, sore version of herself for a while. The two women bonded over broken hearts and cruel men and Rangiku had given everything she had into helping her new friend get over all of this. As Momo was getting better, she became more of herself again and they discovered they had lots of things in common. They became very close and Rangiku did not ever want to see Momo be hurt like that again.

So when the younger woman came to her one night, eyes shining and dreamy smile splitting her face, and talked about how amazing her new Captain was, Rangiku's heart was ripped out of her ribcage at the mere idea of the disaster she knew was coming.

Momo's crush on Hirako was not surprising: she had a thing for nice men in positions of power and he was exactly that. He had always treated her with respect and was always careful of her feelings. And Rangiku was glad, because Momo deserved as much, but at the same time, it just gave Momo more reasons to fall in love with him.

The feeling, though, was not requited. Rangiku had seen the way Hirako looked at his best friend, Sarugaki Hiyori, and it was not platonic.

The way her presumed death had affected him was telling enough.

He had been shattered. 

He had been there, cradling what was left of her body in his arms, begging her not to die, not to leave him.

'What will I ever do without you...?' He had murmured. 

He had tried to add something else but had choked on his own tears.

And when the light faded out of her eyes, so did the one in his.

After that, he had thrown himself at Aizen, alone and reckless. And Rangiku realized with a pang, that he was trying to kill himself.

Hirako Shinji was in love with Sarugaki Hiyori. A love so strong that Rangiku doubted he had ever loved anyone else, doubted he would ever love anyone else.

Momo had no chance to win his affections whatsoever.

And so that meant unavoidable heartbreak for her.

So Rangiku decided to go talk to Hirako about this. Maybe with his help, they could make this rejection as little painful as possible for Momo.

“She has a crush on you.” She finally decided to say. “And I know that you don't feel the same way. So I came to ask you to make it clear as soon as possible. I don't want her to be hurt and I know that the sooner the better.”

The Captain blinked a few times, clearly surprised. He hadn't known. He took a few seconds before replying.

“Okay, I will talk to her.”

Rangiku sighed in relief.

“Thank you” She said before leaving.

Shinji grimaced at her retreating form.

Shit, he was screwed...!

Okay, Momo's crush on him was not exactly a surprise. He had hoped he was imagining the look of adoration and devotion in her eyes... But apparently, he had not.

Shit!

He had no intention of attracting Momo's affections when he had befriended her. He had just felt responsible when he learned what Aizen did to her and he wanted to help her. He wanted to prove her that he was different and that she could trust him.

He soon realized that his help was not needed, Momo had Matsumoto.

If what he had been told was true, she was in very bad shape when Aizen left. Well, it was to be expected, when the person you love pretends to be dead, leaving you a letter accusing your brother of having murdered them and then tries to kill you, you have reasons to be depressed.

But Momo was nothing like that when he met her. She looked a bit sad, but clearly not depressed. She was kind, sweet and had this determined look whenever she was faced with a task that mattered to her.

It must have been Matsumoto's influence on her. From what Momo told him, she was very protective of the smaller woman, she helped her a lot after Aizen's treason and they became great friends.

Matsumoto seemed to be very important for Momo.

Ugh...

He had told Matsumoto he would talk to Momo but...

What the hell was he gonna tell her? What do you say to someone to reject them without breaking their heart and making them hate you? He liked Momo as his Vice-Captain, she was an excellent work partner and he didn't want to hurt their professional relationship. Plus, Momo's heartbreak from Aizen's treason was still fresh and he feared that a new rejection might reopen the wound.

Plus, if he hurt her, Matsumoto might get mad at him... He wanted to avoid that. He had quite liked the friendly woman until the day he saw her furious for the first time. He doesn't remember what happened exactly (he had been drunk, hush!) but one second she was laughing and the next, she was screaming, ready to skin someone alive. The offender ran away while Matsumoto's friends were holding her back. Shinji didn't even remember their face, just that they had insulted Momo, apparently...

After seeing that, he never wanted to make her mad at himself.

Urgh... He slumped on his desk, how had he managed to put himself in this tricky situation?

His day had started so well!

He blinked dreamily and smiled like an idiot.

He had received a text from Hiyori this morning.

It was a simple “Hey” but he knew her enough to hear the massive “I miss you!” hidden behind it.

He had been surprised. And delighted.

It was the first word she addressed him since their fight when he announced that he was going back to the Soul Society.

She had been so mad, he recalls. She screamed and threw objects at him, but he had expected it.

What he had not expected were the tears.

Hiyori never cried, ever.

This memory was burned in his mind forever.

She was screaming, telling him he was an idiot for forgiving the ones who banished and abandoned them. He tried telling her that he was trying to make amend for his mistakes. She screamed that he was not responsible for Aizen's actions. He gave up on explaining himself – because she was right but he didn't want to admit it – and instead jumped to asking what he had wanted to ask her from the beginning. 

“For hell's sake, Hiyori, just come with me!” He screamed higher than her.

At that, she took a step back, opening her eyes in shock like he had physically just slapped her.

“Please, Hiyori, let's go home together...” He tried again, softer.

She doubled over, trying to muffle the sob escaping her, and she stayed there, shaken by the violence of her tears as everyone stared in shock. He took a tentative step toward her, hoping to calm her somehow and she bolted away, running from him and out of the room.

He didn't try going after her.

He didn't try talking to her again.

He didn't try asking her to come with him again.

Why would he? It made her cry last time, Hiyori who never cried. It must have been awful for her.

And the worst was, he didn't know why. Why did it cause Hiyori such pain?

He understood the shock that he was leaving, the anger that he was forgiving the Soul Society, but he didn't understand the pain when he asked her to come.

That was a big problem. He didn't understand Hiyori anymore. They used to talk about their feelings together, and he was proud to be Hiyori's confident. When such a reserved woman told him about her crush on Captain Hikifune, he knew she truly trusted him.

But then, he chose Aizen to be his Vice-Captain and Hiyori just stopped talking to him. She didn't change in public, but in private, she stopped asking about how he felt and talking about herself. When he asked about it, she just answered with a kick to his face and a shouted “Idiot!”.

He vaguely understood that he had hurt her feelings but when he tried talking to Hiyori about it, the little woman blushed before denying furiously. And hitting him with a sandal, of course.

He even tried asking Hikifune about it. She had looked at him as if she was both surprised by his stupidity and disapproving of him as Hiyori's best friend. “Weren't you supposed to be a smart kid?” She asked. He ignored her.

Anyway, after that, a rift was created between them, one that grew with the years. So much that she refused to talk to him after their Hollowfication and bottled up all of her feelings. He saw how much it affected her, saw her soft side disappear and he felt like he had failed her. Maybe if he had been there for her, she would have been able to overcome the trauma...

After the war in Karakura, though, when she woke up from her coma, she was ready to talk to him again.

He was there when she woke up, sat in a chair next to her bed, half asleep and clutching her hand like squeezing it would make her get better faster. He didn't see her eyes opening, just heard when she stuttered his name.

He leaned in even closer.

“Hey...” He murmured, trying not to disturb her.

“I'm sorry.” She said.

“Don't be. You're alright and it's all that matters.”

She looked surprised for a second then smiled, one of those adorable soft smiles she only gave him when they were alone. God, how he had missed this smile.

“Did we win?” She asked.

“Yeah...” 

She smiled again, a smile that reflected her pride at her friends' accomplishment. Then, she rolled on her side, bringing his hand to her chest like she wanted to cuddle it, and fell asleep again. He didn't move it until she let go.

A few days later, they talked. He had made her a cup of her favorite tea, and she talked, about how disappointed she was to not have been able to help more during the war, about how ashamed she was of having fallen for such a cheap trick, about how relieved she was that they were all still alive. He told her about the war, about what happened, about how he tried and failed to take Aizen down by himself. She called him an idiot for running in without thinking and he agreed with her.

At one point, he managed to tell her how he felt when he thought she was gonna die. Managed to tell her it was the second time in less than 100 years he thought he was gonna loose her and managed to ask her to be more careful in the future because every time, he felt like he was loosing a part of himself. She squeezed his hand, not looking him in the eyes.

He wanted to tell her how important she was for him but he didn't dare, too scared of breaking the intimacy that was rebuilding between them. He refilled her cup instead.

After he made her cry, though, he realized that the rift between them was still immense.

And now that they didn't talk anymore, it was only growing more.

So this text from Hiyori lighted a flame of hope in his heart. Maybe if he could...

He was startled out of his thought by the sound of his door opening. It was Momo, who was back from her lunchbreak.

“Hello again, Captain!” She greeted enthusiastically. “I came to retrieve the report about the new recruits, I have to deliver it to the first division.”

Shit! Shinji had completely forgotten about it. Where was it again? He began searching in the piles of paperwork around him.

“Yes, I finished it this morning. Just give me a second...”

As he fumbled with the paperwork, he heard a small chuckle and looked up. Momo was giving him a fond look, clearly amused.  
Ugh... She was in deep if him being an idiot and losing stuff was making her blush.

Matsumoto was right, he had to talk to her.

“Hum, Momo...” He tried. “I'd like to talk to you, about... About something personal...”

Ugh... He didn't want to do this, he hated hurting people, especially women.

“Of course Captain.” Momo answered, looking at him with curiosity and he felt himself fidget under her scrutiny.

He opened his mouth to try and elaborate but after a moment, he deflated and gave up. He couldn't find the courage to do this. Not today.

“Are you free tomorrow? I know it's your day off but it's kinda important.”

“Of course Captain, I'll see you tomorrow.” With that, she grabbed a paper from his desk – the report he had completely forgotten about – and left the room, smiling as usual.

Good, now he had to come up with an idea of what he should tell Momo before tomorrow. This was gonna be great!

Ugh! He slammed his head on his desk.

\-------------------------------

Rangiku was packing her things, ready to leave her office and call it a day when Momo came in, bouncing with excitement.

“Ran-chan!” She cried. “I have good news!”

Rangiku frowned. Didn't Hirako talk to her yet? 

“Good news? What kind of good news?”

“Captain Hirako wants to see me tomorrow, on my day off!” Momo squealed.

“He's canceling your day off!?” What an ass! “How is that a good news?”

Momo rolled her eyes.

“No, Ran-chan! He wants to talk to me. He didn't say why, just that it was personal, so...” She cut herself off, biting her lips with eyes full of hope.

Rangiku wanted to slap herself! 

Hirako! What an idiot! The plan was to reject Momo so she could move on, not to give her more hope!  
Now, she was fantasizing about him confessing to her and asking her out, saying that they should take advantage of her day off to consume their blossoming love or something like that. Rangiku gaged at the thought.

Momo must have understood Rangiku's disapproval because she began explaining herself.

“I know you think I'm imagining things but I swear! He was blushing and looking shy!” She cried. “He stuttered Ran-chan! He never stutters!” 

Rangiku sat down on the sofa she used for naps. She felt a headache begin to form. She was fed up with having the same discussion over and over again.

“Maybe he was just embarrassed to ask you to cancel your day off.” She tried. “Maybe he just needs your help with work tomorrow.” 

Momo sighed.

“Ran-chan, why are you always so negative when I talk about him? Why can't you support me? You know how I feel about him.”

Rangiku pressed the heel of her palms into her eyes in frustration. Why was Momo always attracted to guys who clearly weren't interested? “I'm scared, Momo! Scared that he might hurt you! Remember what happened last time!”

Momo took a step back. This subject was still painful for her.

“Captain Hirako is not like Aizen!”

Seeing the pain in Momo's eyes made Rangiku calm down a bit.

“He doesn't need to commit treason to hurt you, Momo. He could just reject you, or toy with your feelings, or, I don't know, have you transferred because he thinks your feelings are creepy. I don't want you to be hurt, Momo...”

Momo smiled a sad smile.

“I know you're right. But what if he likes me back? What if he makes me happy?”

Rangiku sighed. She had tried telling Momo that Hirako didn't like her, that he had someone else. But she just wouldn't believe her, no matter how much Rangiku insisted.  
So, for her best friend's sake, she imagined, for a second, that Hirako returning Momo's feelings was not just a fantasy. Her heart squeezed painfully at the thought. She ignored it.

“If he does, I'll support you Momo.” She looked the smaller woman in the eyes before adding: “I just want you to be happy.”

Momo smiled, a brilliant, satisfied thing this time. She sat down next to Rangiku and took her hand, lacing their fingers together.

“If he has me transferred,” She murmured, “I'll ask to work with you Ran-chan.”

Rangiku looked at Momo, whose smile had turned soft. She took her friend in her arms, holding her as close as possible.

“I love you, Momo.” She whispered, like she was revealing a secret.

Momo wrapped her arms around Rangiku as well.

“I love you too, Ran-chan.” Came the honest reply.

\----------------------------------------

Shinji felt like he was walking on air. Maybe he was, he hadn't checked.  
He couldn't remember a time when he was so happy. Well, learning Hiyori would survive after the Karakura Battle made him feel just as light but it was more a mix of relief and exhaustion than happiness.

Hiyori was talking to him again.   
They talked all day and almost all night long the previous day, until she fell asleep on her phone in the early morning. He could almost picture her, face squished on the screen and drooling all over. Adorable, he thought with a smile.

He was not exactly forgiven, she was kind of pretending nothing happened and he did the same, too scared that broaching the subject might make her close off again.

So they talked about other things... They talked about his accommodation to Soul Society, about the changes that occurred during their absence, about how the rest of the group was doing. Which then led to him asking how Hachi, Lisa and Hiyori were doing alone in the living world.  
Which led to Hiyori admitting she missed her friends. Okay, she didn't say it like that. She complained about them leaving and pretended it was because she had to do the dishes, with how the chores were redistributed. Hiyori hated doing the dishes, she preferred the laundry – especially with the new machines in the living world that did almost all the work. Shinji was about to propose they swap his laundry for her dishes – something he did most of the time – before he realized he couldn't. They didn't live together anymore. That realization broke his heart a little and he changed the subject.

She fell asleep as they were talking about the new restaurants in Soul Society. He didn't tell her that most of the time, his first thought in front of a new restaurant was “Hiyori would like this place.” or “I wanna take Hiyori to lunch here.”.  
Yeah, he missed her. Very very much.

On his way to work, he checked his phone an umpteenth time since he woke up. He was waiting for Hiyori to message him again.

When he entered his office, Momo was there, waiting for him and looking nervous. Odd.

“Momo?” He asked. The Vice-Captain lifted her head and smiled, fidgeting. “ What are you doing here? Ain't it your day off?

The woman frowned, but before she could explain herself, they were interrupted by the tingling of his phone.

A message from Hiyori!  
Immediately, the blond turned into a little boy and smiled like christmas was coming early.  
He took his phone out, sat down at his desk absentmindedly, and read the text.

Hiyori was saying “Hi!” and joking about how the sun looked ridiculously like his hair today. With the message was a picture of the sun, on which she had drawn a cartoonish version of his face.  
She then said that she wanted to slap it with her sandal, clearly regretting how cheesy she had just been. But it was too late! He now knew that she apparently thought about him first thing in the morning.

Incapable of controlling himself, he giggled. Which was especially embarrassing in front of Momo.

He lifted his head, about to apologize, but she was gone.

\-------------------------------------

Rangiku was still furious with Hirako.  
She had wanted to go “speak her mind” to him the previous day but Momo wanted to have dinner together and Rangiku had obliged. Of course, when the evening ended, it was too late to go pester the Captain.  
And going before work was a bad idea ; knowing she might run into Momo at the Captain's office, as their “date” was supposed to be today.

No, seriously, how dare he treat Momo like that? How dare he play with her feelings while being in love with someone else?

Rangiku stomped into her office.  
Only to find Momo, sat on the floor and crying her eyes out.

“Momo!” Rangiku ran to her friend, falling down in her hurry to taking her in her arms. “What happened, Honey? Is it about Captain Hirako?”

Momo hiccuped, clearly trying to calm herself. Rangiku caressed her back soothingly. “He has...” She breathed. “He...” She sobbed, and it took her a few long seconds more to manage to blurt out: “He has a girlfriend.”

“What!?” Rangiku screamed.

She was floored! Did one of those thick-heads manage to take their head out of their ass long enough to actually confess?

“Well, I don't know for sure but... But I came early to see him, this morning. I couldn't sleep so...” She shrugged. “I thought it didn't hurt to wait for him in his office instead of turning endlessly in my bed. Anyway, he entered and asked what I was doing there. Like he had forgotten that HE asked ME to come see him on my day off!”

Rangiku rolled her eyes. “What an ass!” She confirmed.

“I was about to remind him when he received a text. And I swear, Ran-chan! It was like I disappeared! He ignored me completely, turned into an excited puppy, and... And giggled! Giggled, Ran-chan! Can you imagine?” Momo paused, turning to Rangiku with an exaggeratedly shocked face for emphasis. Rangiku nodded and Momo continued, calmer. “I don't know who he was texting to, Ran-chan, but he loves this person. I've never seen him like that, so... So happy, so giddy, so childish and lovey-dovey.” She sighed, defeated. “I could never make him happy like that, I never did, and I never will.” She whispered the last part, closing in on herself with a sad look.

Rangiku cradled Momo closer. “Are you gonna be alright Momo?”

“Yes, yes.” She smiled, eyes still full of tears. “I'm just gonna have to get over it.”

“I'll be here for you, Momo. I promise.”

“I know.” She finally returned the hug and cuddled closer into Rangiku's shoulder. “I know.”

“Ran-chan?” She asked after a few minutes of silence. Rangiku hummed a reply. “Thank you for everything you do for me. I love you.”

Rangiku hugged Momo even closer and whispered in her ear. “I love you too, Momo...”

\-------------------------------------

It had been a month since Momo entered Shinij's office, looking determined, and told him, curtly and to the point, that she had harbored feelings for him but that it was over and that she would be professional from now on.   
Shinji didn't understand what led to this development but from the look on Momo's face, she didn't wanna talk about it, so he didn't ask.

He was glad though : that was one less problem to deal with.

And it gave him time to think about Hiyori.  
Ah, Hiyori!   
She was like his little ray of sunshine, right now.

They still hadn't talked about The Fight, but it didn't matter.  
They hadn't talked that much since... Well, before Aizen.

The communicated through sending each other pictures of what they were doing during the day, and at night, they would call each other and talk until one of them fell asleep.  
Shinji loved hearing Hiyori fall asleep. It was the most soothing thing he knew. Her voice would get more and more slurred, her sentences shorter and she sometimes said very cute things like the time she mumbled that she loved hearing his voice. He walked on clouds for three days after that one.

He had a few news from Lisa, too. She told him that Hiyori was spending every waking moment on her phone, and that she thought it was getting ridiculous. Shinji found it adorable, but maybe he was biased. He was often biased when it came to Hiyori.

The only thing wrong in Shinji's life right now was, well, Hiyori.  
Talking to her on the phone was nice and all but it would never be enough to sooth the longing feeling in his chest.  
He missed her.  
He missed her so much.  
He missed her smiles, her smirks, her smugness, her blushes, even her shouts and her hits.  
He thought about her all the time. He would see something cool and think she would like it, hear a joke and wonder if it would make her laugh, hell, he even took notes of all the food places she would love. He already knew her favorite would be the takoyaki place in the near Rukongai. They could go eat lunch there together.

This morning, without knowing why, he especially missed her.  
It was a normal, boring morning, as he walked to his office, greeting Momo on his way in.   
Maybe it was the quiet of his new home, maybe it was that she hadn't answered his “Good Morning!” yet.

When he opened the door, he thought he was seeing an hallucination. On his desk sat Hiyori, mindlessly reading through a report.  
Shinji blinked, once, twice.  
Maybe this was a dream, god knew how often he dreamed of Hiyori.

“Finally gracing us with your presence, Baldy? I was about to drop dead from boredom. Look, I even started reading paperwork! You know how much I hate that shit.”

Shinji lit up like a Christmas tree. This Hiyori was real!

Hiyori looked at him. “Why the stupid face, stupid?”

“What are you doing here? I'm so happy to see you!”

Hiyori turned as red as her tracksuit. She crossed her arms and looked away, embarrassed.

“Lisa forced me to come with her. She had something to do here.”

She was clearly lying but he didn't call her out on it.  
Instead, he savored the feeling of knowing that she missed him so much she decided to travel all the way to Soul Society just to see him. Even though coming here was so painful for her.  
He wanted to hug her.  
He refrained though, knowing that she wouldn't welcome it in this shy state.

“Hey,” He proposed instead, “remember the new takoyaki place I told you about? Wanna try it?”

Hiyori's eyes shined with interest but she didn't give in yet. “Don't you have work to do?”

“That can wait. You're here, it's more important.” 

Hiyori blushed again but recovered quickly enough. “Okay, you're paying.” She jumped off the desk, already on her way.

He ran the few steps to catch up to her. “Oh? And why so, if you please?” He teased.

“First, you invited me. It's universal rule that whoever invites the other pay. Second, I don't have money, stupid.”

Shinji smiled.  
He loved her so much.


	2. Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the angst comes the fluff! The couples are working things out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is when things get out of proportions... Enjoy anyway!

Momo had just arrived at work, thinking this was going to be a nice day, when she met the tornado that is Hiyori Sarugaki.  
The grumpy blond entered, didn't even introduce herself and grunted:

“So, you're Shinji's new Vice...”

She looked Momo up and down, made a face and turned around, entering the Captain's office like she owned it.

“Excuse me, you can't enter here, the Captain is not here yet!”

The intruder snarled:

“I'll enter wherever I want. And you should learn to respect your elders, pretty girl!” She sat on the Captain's desk. “Come on, introduce yourself.”

Momo looked the intruding woman over. She was clearly not wearing a shinigami uniform. Instead, she had an open vest on top of a simple tank top, short red pants assorted to her vest and worn off sandals. She looked more like a rukongai rat than like a high ranked officer.

“I don't see your ensign, miss.”

“You're as stupid as you look, pretty girl. I'm Hiyori Sarugaki. Former Vice Captain of the 12th and one of the only existing Vizards. Now who are you?”

Momo took in a breath. So this was Captain Hirako's best friend.

“Momo Hinamori, Vice Captain of the 5th.”

Sarugaki-san narrowed her eyes.

“You're the one who fell in love with Aizen.”

She pronounced the name with such disgust.

Now, Momo could understand. Aizen destroyed this woman's whole life.  
But still, Momo felt ashamed that she was associated with this disgust in Sarugaki-san's mind.

Unconsciously, she lowered her head.

“I'll wait for Shinji here. Go back to your duties.”

Momo left. She didn't know what else to do.

Sarugaki-san clearly didn't trust her. And it was normal.  
From Sarugaki-san's point of view, she must be a pretty idiot who didn't notice that her boss was a downright psycho. Even worse, she fell in love with that psycho's pretenses and nice smiles. Momo still felt very ashamed about that.

Momo was so distracted this morning, that she didn't even notice Captain Hirako entering his office.  
For all she knew, one moment he hadn't arrived yet, and the next, he was smiling at Sarugaki-san like she hung the moon and all the stars in the sky.

Momo couldn't stop herself from eavesdropping on their conversation.  
She was being very rude to him, were they truly friends?  
But Captain Hirako was being so nice to her, letting it slide as if it didn't matter. He was even inviting her to the restaurant!

They came out of the office and Momo saw it. The small, loving smile on Captain Hirako's face. And the realization slapped her in the face. Sarugaki-san and Captain Hirako weren't just friends, they were dating!  
This small, grumpy, rude woman was Captain Hirako's girlfriend!!! Incredible!

Wow... She needed to tell Ran-chan everything.

\----------------------------------------

“I just don’t understand Ran-chan. They don’t fit together!”

Rangiku was dying. Dying!

She thought she’d heard the last of the Hirako crush after Momo discovered that he was taken, but, apparently, she’d been wrong!  
Momo had just met Sarugaki and she wanted to talk about it. The exchange had lasted maybe five (5) minutes but it had managed to pull a two hours long rant from Momo.  
And Rangiku was forced to stay right here and suffer through the whole thing. Ugh! What she wouldn't do for Momo.

“She’s just...” Momo paced around the room once again. “She’s just so rude! And disrespectful! You should have heard the way she was talking to him, Ran-chan! I don’t understand what a dignified man like him sees in… In her!”

There, Rangiku exploded in laughter.  
She couldn't stop herself, it was so ridiculous. Hirako? Dignified? Ha!  
The laugh had the advantage of shocking Momo into silence.

“Momo, you have to stop idolizing him.” Rangiku said once she calmed down. 

“I...” Momo tried, before giving up and closing her mouth.

“I mean, charming? That’s Hirako alright. Pretty? I get it. But Dignified? Momo, no.”

Rangiku gave Momo a few seconds to process. When she only looked confused, Rangiku asked.  
“You’ve never seen him out of the office, have you?” When Momo shook her head, Rangiku explained. “He’s just as brash, as rude, as violent, as idiotic as she is. He just hides it behind a pretty smile and a know-it-all look.” She paused.

“He’s not the noble man you see in him, Momo. He’s from the Rukongai just like her. Just like Renji, just like so many of those idiots in the 11th. He’s just better at hiding it.”

“Momo...” Rangiku told her, looking at her with as much desperate love as she felt. “Just because a man is nice to you doesn’t mean he’s the one for you.”

Momo sniffed, sat down, and broke. She cried in Rangiku’s shoulder.

“Oh Honey, no… Don’t cry please.”

“You’re right. What the hell is wrong with me, Ran-chan? Why I am like that? How come a man’s smile can hypnotize me so much I go blind? I don’t see anything anymore! I don’t see who they are, I don’t see that they love someone else, I don’t see that they’re megalomaniac killers! Why do I always fall in love with an illusion? Can’t I fall in love with someone real for once?”

“Darling, no...” Rangiku whispered, she felt her heart break at the idea that she had just caused Momo another mental breakdown. The poor woman didn’t need that. “I mean…. Hirako is not a serial killer. He’s a valid crush, Momo. He is nice with everyone, he’s protective of the people he loves, he’s responsible and serious in his duties. He’s okay. He’s just… Not interested. And not as good as you thought he was. But you know, I love that you see the best in everyone, it shows how much of a good person you are.”

Momo smiled at the compliment. Then, she sniffed.  
“It’s just… I feel like my love life is a disaster, like I always fall for illusions and I always end up being disappointed.”

“It’s okay, Momo. One day, you will find someone who’s truly as good as your fantasy.”

“Thanks Ran-chan.” Momo said, cuddling close to the taller woman.

She loved cuddling Ran-chan. She felt so safe in her arms. It was like all her worries and self-doubt just melted away whenever she was around.

“God, I hope you’re not another illusion...” Momo whispered.

“What?” Rangiku pushed Momo away, trying to look her in the eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, before Captain Hirako, I had a crush on you. You were so nice to me after Aizen. You helped me when I felt miserable, even thought you were heartbroken too and, you kind of saved me from myself, Ran-chan. I don’t think I would have been able to go on without your help, Ran-chan. I… I didn’t expect it but you appeared out of nowhere and you… You saved me. Thank you Ran-chan.”

Rangiku held her breath.

“Is this another ‘You were nice to me, so now I think you’re the love of my life’ crush?”

Momo snorted. “I hope not.”

Momo leaned in and nuzzled her nose against Rangiku’s in a short nose kiss. Rangiku turned red.

“Because if it is, it means this beautiful, heroic woman who always know what to say to make me feel better is an illusion. I’ll be very very sad if that’s the case.”

Rangiku smiled sadly. “Is that all you like about me? I’m pretty and I help you when you feel down?”

“No!” Momo exclaimed. “You’re also so strong and perceptive. You understand people so easily, I don’t know how you do it. And you never run from your enemies, be they people or feelings, you face them head on! I admire that about you.”

Rangiku smiled. “Thanks for the compliment.” She took a breath. “I have something I need to confess, then. I have a crush on you too, Momo.”

Momo’s eyes shined in delight. “Really?”

“Yeah, you’re so cute, and you always see the best in people. You believe in them and you inspire them to become the best version of themselves. None of our friends would be where they are now without your encouragements Momo.”

Momo was so happy she was vibrating.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Well, I could have told you, but Captain Hirako arrived and I got confused.”

“You were still getting over Aizen, it wasn’t the right time to tell you, I didn’t want to put you through another emotional trainwreck. But then, I turn around for like five seconds and suddenly, you’re all over Hirako. Hirako who is freaking taken, and I… I didn’t know what to do. You wouldn’t listen to me when I told you he wasn’t interested so… I asked him to tell you himself.”

Momo made a face, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“It was a bit before you discovered he was dating someone else. I told him about your feelings for him and asked him to let you down nicely. I thought that was what he has planned to do, when he asked you to come see him on your day off. I didn’t expect him to rub his relationship in your face and break your heart.”

“Wait, you knew he was dating Sarugaki?”

“No, I thought they were still turning awkwardly around each other. But it was clear that they had a crush on each other, and that he wasn’t interested in anyone else.”

“I never even met Sarugaki before today, how did you know that?” Momo asked, eyes wide.

Rangiku looked at Momo like she was dumb. “The Karakura Battle? When she almost died and he tried to kill Aizen all by himself to avenge her? Don’t you remember?”

Momo grimaced. “No?” Rangiku sighed heavily. “I don’t remember much from that day, except that I was trembling all over and trying with all I had to keep it together. I was so scared Aizen might try to manipulate me again.”

“Well, I remember. And he was looking at her dying in his arms like she was his whole universe. I think he tried to kill himself that day. I think he wouldn’t have gone on if she had died for real.”

Momo grimaced again. “Oh… He’s truly in love with her then.”  
“Yes.” Rangiku stressed. “And he wouldn’t have given up on her for anyone. That’s what I was trying to tell you, Momo.”

“And I didn’t listen...” Momo sighed. She was so disappointed with herself. She knew Ran-chan only wanted what was best for her. Why didn’t she listen?

“It’s okay.” Rangiku gave Momo a small smile. “You’re listening now.”

“I will try to keep listening to you in the future Ran-chan. No more falling for strangers and believing in them more than in the people I know and love.” Momo nodded, determined.

Rangiku smiled.

“Thank you for looking out for me again, Ran-chan.”

Rangiku shrugged. “What are friends for, if not for looking out for each other?”

Momo bit her lips. “Hum… About that… I think I’d like to be a little more than friends.”

Rangiku stuttered, trying to answer but not managing to. Her heart was beating so hard it hurt. Was Momo truly proposing what Rangiku thought she was?

Momo smiled. “I’d like to take you out on a date. Is that okay with you?”

Yes, Momo was proposing a date! Rangiku was so flustered she felt like hiding her face in her hands. She nodded.

“Awesome! Is tonight okay for you? We can see each other at my place after work.”

“Okay...” Rangiku squeaked.

“Perfect!” Momo smiled. “Now, I gotta go back to work. See you tonight!” And with that she was gone.

Rangiku felt herself deflate and melt into the cushion. What the hell just happened? Did she really have a date tonight? She’s surprised she didn’t scare Momo away with all of her stuttering and not managing to answer questions.  
She would have to do better tonight, to try and convince Momo that she truly wanted this. That she could be a nice girlfriend and make Momo’s heart fluster as well.

As she left Ran-chan’s office, Momo felt like she was walking on air. She didn’t know how things evolved from her feeling like making Sarugaki and Captain Hirako break-up because she was jealous to her feeling like she could just forget about Captain Hirako’s whole existence. She had a date tonight and it felt like this was truly the right person this time. Ran-chan was perfect! She was so sweet and beautiful. She felt like, for once, she could truly trust someone with her heart.  
She just needed to make this date amazing for Ran-chan.

\--------------------

The sand under her feet and the noises of the street reminded Hiyori of where she grew up with Shinji, in one of the poorer parts of Rukongai.  
The teen (because he had been a teen at the time) was completely bald. He looked ridiculous. She had made fun of him so much for it. He would always get annoyed and say it was because hair were too difficult to handle but that didn't stop her from laughing. That's were the Baldy insult came from.  
Years later, while he was carefully untangling the long cascade of hair he was famous for, he confessed that her mockeries had made him very self-conscious about his hair. That's when she realized, with a blush and a beating heart, that this was for her. That he put so much effort and care into his hair just to look good to her. After that, she never let a week pass without showing him how much she loved his hair. She rarely said it out loud, but she often caressed a strand of hair or brushed it loving between her fingers ; sometimes, she even kissed it when she was certain he was asleep.  
Until they were banished to the living word and Shinji had to cut his hair to blend in more easily. To this day, she still mourned the fallen golden locks. If she could, she would have kept them preciously but the others were in the room during the whole haircut and they were thrown away right after. There was no way in hell she could have stolen the strands in front of everyone!  
And now, he was wearing this weird asymmetrical fringe... She didn't now what to think about it... She guessed it was supposed to be fashionable but she didn't know shit about fashion.

The smell of Takoyaki distracted Hiyori from her thoughts.  
Up ahead was a little truck where the cook, a vibrant man, was chatting up costumers and flipping Takoyaki.  
Hiyori and Shinji waited in line behind a group of shinigami trainees while the cook served them.

“Here you go, ladies! Have a great day!” The man greeted them off. Then, he noticed Shinji and exclaimed: “Captain Hirako! What an honor to see you again!” His eyes landed on Hiyori. “Oh! Hello! I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you. Who might you be?” He lifted a finger to stop the two blonds from answering before they could open their mouths. “No, no! Let me guess!”

He made a show of holding his chin and squinting his eyes in mock concentration. “Let's see... Blond hair, fierce look... Tell me, do you like Takoyaki?”

Hiyori nodded, looking quite amused by the man's little game.

“Then!” He said, snapping his fingers as if he just solved a hard riddle. “You must be Miss Hiyori Sarugaki!”

Hiyori laughed. “Yeah, that's me. Do you know me?” She asked, a bit confused.

“My, Great Maiden, of course! Your knight here won't stop talking about you!”

“Oh, really?” Hiyori smirked at Shinji who just stuck his tongue out at her. “And what did he say about me?”

“Well” The cook answered, preparing their Takoyaki. “He told me about your favorite foods, your impressive fighting skills, the places he'd like to show you...” He smiled, looking between them. “Sounded like a young man missing his love, in my humble opinion.”

Hiyori sent Shinji an inquiring look. He had crossed his arms on his chest and was threatening the man with his eyes.

“Shut up, old hag! I told you we're not dating.”

The cook sent him an unimpressed look while filling two boxes with Takoyaki. Then he smiled at Hiyori. “Don't worry, he'll come around. He's just in denial for now.” He looked at Shinji again, adding as if addressing him in particular. “Just like I was when I met my Karen! Ah! If only I had the courage to ask her out sooner, I wouldn't have made my princess wait three long years!”

Shinji smiled a stiff, fake smile. “Well, that's your problem.” He paid, took the filled boxes and said: “Have a good day.” Before turning around and leaving.

It took Hiyori a few seconds to realize he was leaving with her Takoyaki, too small to see the counter, but when she did, she rolled her eyes. That idiot was trying to lure her away from this man by stealing her food. She waved to the cook before following Shinji.

“Have a good day, Great Maiden!” The cook waved back.

Hiyori caught up with Shinji and sat down next to him on the bench he found.

“So, you blabber about me to strangers?” She teased as he passed her her food.

“Shut up.” He blushed, stuffing his mouth. “You just came up in the conversation one day. He asked why I always come alone, if I didn't have friends who would like to come with me and I told him that I thought you would like his place. He extrapolated from here and now, he's convinced we are madly in love with each other but too shy to talk about it or some shit.”

He rolled his eyes to show how ridiculous he found the notion. He was not madly in love with Hiyori. Maybe he had a bit of a crush on her, but he was not madly in love.

“Ignore that idiot. Tell me, how is the food?” He tried to change the subject.

Hiyori did try the Takoyaki. It was good! Chewy, hot and with a strong flavor! It was just as she liked it, probably one of the best she had tried in a while. Shinji knew her way too well. But there was no way she would admit it.

“It's edible.” She shrugged, trying and failing to hide the way she was devouring the treat. It really was good.

Shinji smiled to himself as he watched her enjoy the food. It was so obvious she liked it, he was glad he made the right choice when choosing the restaurant.

“So, Mister I-try-to-change-the-subject-and-hope-Hiyori-doesn't-notice, how much did you miss me to start talking about me to random strangers?” She smirked.

“I didn't miss you, Shorty!” He lied, you know, like a liar. Of course he had missed her, he just didn't want to admit it out loud.

“Yeah, right!” She laughed. Then, she fake-sobbed and mimicked: “Look at this pic, her name is Hiyori. I abandoned her in the living world and now, I cry in my pillow every night because I regret it. Do you think she would take me back?”

Shinji laughed and Hiyori stopped making fun of him to listen to that sound. Wow, she really did miss him.

“You can make fun of me all you want,” Shinji smirked at her. “but you texted me first. And that, means you spent 3 days watching kids movies and trying to deny your feelings beforehand. So really, who's the one who missed the other more, huh?”

Hiyori blanched. How the hell did he find out about that? “Wha...! What the hell are you talking about Baldy?” She screamed, outraged. In front of her, Shinji was laughing so hard he had to put his food down not to let it all tip over and fall on the floor. “I'll kill you, Baldy!” Hiyori screamed again, trying to hit him in the belly.

“Ok, ok, I'll stop!” Shinji dodged the attack. “I promise I'll stop, just calm down.”

“You better...” Hiyori grumbled as she glared at Shinji who was wiping his tearful eyes and trying to breath normally again.

“I did miss you, you know? Like for real.” Shinji murmured after a pause.

“Huh?” Hiyori looked at him, unsure if she heard him right.

“I feel like we don't talk to each other anymore, and I kind of wanted to fix it.” He explained.

“What are you talking about, Baldy?” She exclaimed, even more confused. “We talk on the phone all the time.”

“No, not like that, I mean... We used to tell each other everything. Our feelings, our hopes, our fears.... I used to be able to understand you from a simple eyebrow twitch. But when I became Captain, you just stopped talking to me, and your rudeness began feeling less like teasing and more like actual violence.” He turned toward her, seeing her put her food down and turn away from him. “What happened Hiyori? What did I do?”

Hiyori sniffed and looked away. She knew what Shinji was talking about and she didn't want to talk about it. She knew that he wouldn't understand the reason why she resented him. He would find it petty and ridiculous. She spent years trying to avoid the subject so he wouldn't find out and make fun of her for it. But still, she couldn't just pretend she wasn't hurt and apparently he noticed her change of behavior.

“Nothing happened, stupid. Forget about it.” She tried to deny.

“What? Like hell nothing happened!” He insisted.

“It's been more than a century!” She cried. “Why do you care now?”

“I've always cared, Hiyori!” He took a breath, trying to calm down. Now was not the time to start a fight. If he did, she might just crawl back into her shell and never talk to him again. “But you didn't want to talk about it and I gave you the space you needed. But now, it's been weighing on our relationship for more than a century and I can't stand it anymore.” He looked at her, trying to be as sincere as possible but she refused to meet his gaze. “Listen, whatever I did, I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. So please, could you just tell me what I did so I can start mending for my mistake? I spent years trying to figure it out and I can't seem to.”

He paused for a second before adding a joke, trying to make her laugh. “Please, Great Maiden, your stupid knight needs a few pointers.”

It earned him a smile and he was very satisfied with himself. He loved making her smile.  
Then, she looked at him for a long time, as if she was searching his face for a sign. A sign of what, he didn't know. He patiently waited as she put her feet on the bench and hugged her knees, clearly feeling vulnerable.

“Promise not to make fun of me.” She mumbled.

“Why would I make fun of you?”

“Promise!” She barked.

“Okay, okay!” He lifted his hands in surrender. “I promise!” He scooted on the bench, trying to get closer to her and asked quietly: “Now, will you tell me?”

She hid her face in her knees and murmured, barely audible. “You chose Aizen over me.”

“What!?” He didn't remember ever putting anyone before Hiyori and certainly not this asshole.

“To be your Vice-Captain!” She explained. “Listen, we had been friends for what?, like forever, we made an awesome team and...” She couldn't stop the tears of rage and frustration from spilling. “And this dickhead comes out of nowhere and you choose him!? Over me!? And I know you said it was because you wanted to keep an eye on him, but still! It hurt! It still hurts...” She continued much more quietly, as if all her anger had been replaced by pain and sorrow. “I wanted to be your Vice-Captain, to work with you and when you chose him over me, it felt like a rejection... Like you thought I wasn't good enough for you....” She sobbed quietly and hid her face in her knees again.

Shinji felt awful. Hiyori was crying. This was the second time he made her cry and he really wanted to stop. Also, he had no idea she felt like that. He had no idea she wanted to be his Vice-Captain, she looked so happy with Captain Hikifune.

Apparently, he had said that out loud because Hiyori lifted her head, an incredulous expression on her tear streaked face.

“What?” She mumbled. “I told you. I told you the night when you learned about your promotion.”

Shinji tried to remember. His memories of this night were confused and incomplete, as expected given the amount of alcohol they drank.  
Hiyori had been very happy for him, which had surprised him because they had a kind of an unspoken competition to know which one would become Captain first. But instead of jealousy, the only thing he saw in her eyes was pride. She was so proud of him.  
After the surprise had passed, he discovered he was deeply touched to know she supported him so much.

They found a bar to celebrate in and as soon as Hiyori had drank her first drink, she starting screaming at everyone who approached them that he was the new Captain of Soul Society and that she was here to protect him from annoying pests like them. At one point, the bartender stopped finding it funny. But it didn't matter, it was still funny for Shinji and seeing her being so protective of him made his heart flutter in his chest.

Later, after going home and crashing in bed together (whose bed? He doesn't remember), she smiled that weird lopsided grin of her that she only ever makes when she's really relaxed and whispered: “I'm so proud of you, Shin. You should make me your Vice. We could work together every day and we would make the best team ever!”  
And of course, the next morning, he had forgotten everything about that interaction.

“Oh my god...” Shinji realized out loud. “I'm so sorry Hiyori, I was drunk, I forgot!”

“What?” She bawled, offended, before catching herself. She couldn't exactly blame him for forgetting something that happened when they were drunk, given the number of time she did it herself. “Okay, but... I put in my resume and asked Hikifune for a recommendation.”

Shinji bit his lip in guilt. “I kind of didn't read the resume I got... It sounded like too much work at the time, and I didn't even know yours was among the pile.”

“Shinji, you're an idiot.” Hiyori sounded disappointed. “What about the recommendation? Hikifune told me she talked to you directly.”

He did remember having a weird conversation with Hikifune about Hiyori's job as her Vice-Captain, but... “I thought she was just advising me on what qualities to look for in a Vice-Captain.”

Hiyori was flabbergasted. “You are the dumbest guy I know.”

“I'm sorry...?” Shinji grimaced.

Hiyori took a deep breath, looked into the distance and got up. “I need time to think.” Then, she left.

Shinji was kind of heartbroken. Seeing her leave without saying a word hurt more than the thousand insults he expected and deserved. He messed up big time.

After a few steps, though, Hiyori turned around, came back, grabbed what was left of her Takoyaki and left again. There was no way she was giving up free food because Shinji was an idiot!

\------------------------------

After walking a bit, Hiyori found the perfect private place she was looking for. If she wanted to think, she would need peace and quiet.

She sat on the grass under a beautiful weeping willow, next to a gently coursing river. The sound of the water was already soothing her.

She was munching on a Takoyaki when she almost choked herself as she burst in laughter. 

This whole situation was ridiculous!  
They stopped talking to each other because of a stupid misunderstanding!

“We are both so stupid...” She whispered when she finally managed to calm down.

She lied down in the grass, looking up to the leaves.

Still, thinking about it she realize that, at the time, she wouldn't have been able to talk to him enough to sort out this misunderstanding.

When she learned that Shinji had chosen this Aizen pipsqueak over her to be his Vice-Captain, it felt like her heart was ripped in half.  
She didn't see it coming. They were best friends and she thought the fact that they made the best team ever would be as obvious to him as it was to her.  
Plus, she was kind of excited at the idea of working with him everyday...

So she closed off, like she usually did in that kind of situation.  
And even if it seems stupid now, she knows that, at the time, she was too hurt to do anything else.

They never really talked after that. She pretended that everything was fine but he knew better. He had always been able to see right through her like that.

But she never answered when he asked what was wrong, or how she was feeling. Not in the early years when he was still trying to figure it out nor after their Hollowfication when he insisted they talk about their feelings to help them deal with their Hollow.

And before she knew it, they had been in the Living World for more than a century and still didn't talk to each other. After a while, Shinji had stopped trying to seek her out, just accepted their relationship as it was.

Sure, they still play-fighted, but it never quite felt the same. The insults always felt a bit too real, a bit too honest for it to really be play-fighting.

Then, the Karakura Battle happened. And she almost died. And it changed everything.

She still remembers Shinji holding her close and begging her not to die. And in his eyes, between the tears, she saw how much he loved her.

She was shocked at first, convinced she imagined it, until she woke up in her bed, alive but hurting everywhere and heard in his voice how worried he had been, how relieved he was to know that her life wasn't in danger anymore.

He loved her.

And so, she decided to try and move on. The fact that he chose someone else still hurt but not as much as missing him did.

She missed talking to him and laughing with him and knowing everything about him. At one time, she could pride herself in being the one who knew him better than anyone else. Today, she wasn't sure anymore.

She also missed the quiet time between them, when she could tell him anything and know she wouldn't be judged. She missed just plopping in his laps and cuddling with him after a bad day.  
She missed waking up next to him after those nights, most of the time sprawled unceremoniously because they are both terrible bedmates who kick in their sleep. She missed those mornings when he kissed her head as he mumbled “Good morning”, still half asleep and she didn't have to pretend to hate it because she knew he wouldn't remember any of it.

She missed him and she loved him.

Yeah, she had a crush on Shinji, a big one. It was kind of hard to accept at first, but then, it just became a natural part of their relationship.

Feeling her heart skip a bit whenever he smiled, or getting very fond of him whenever he tried (and failed) to be smooth, getting protective of him whenever he faked control of the situation (which generally meant he wasn't confident in his ability to deal with it), or thinking about him every time her mind wandered off... It all just became natural to her.

She never told him because why would she? She didn't expect him to ever return her feelings. It was much simpler to just integrate her love feelings to her friendship feelings for him and move on.

But after the Karakura Battle, she realized he did love her back, and that was enough for her to give him another chance.

But then, he ruined everything again.

He decided to leave, had accepted to take his job back as Captain of the Soul Society. He wanted to go back to those who threw them away like junk and took Aizen's side.

Worse, he wanted her to come with him, to “go back home” as he said. And she understood that their was a giant rift between them, that they didn't understand each other anymore.  
To her, Soul Society wasn't home anymore. They had build a new home in the Living World.

But apparently, this place wasn't home for Shinji.

She was heartbroken. She felt like he was abandoning her.  
And she closed off again.

And suddenly, home stopped feeling like home. Without Shinji here, it felt cold and wet, broken.

She tried wearing her most comfortable hoodies and eating her favorite food and watching her favorite movies, but it didn't work. She felt lonely. 

And so, she texted him. She didn't know what would happen, if he would like to talk to her or even if it would help but she was desperate.

In the end, it worked wonders. Shinji actually wanted to talk to her and she felt warmer with every text from him.

She ended up deciding to visit him. It was Lisa who suggested it. Hiyori was against it at first but then she realized she really missed seeing Shinji face to face. She needed to be with him for real again.

And here she was, breaking her vow to never come back to Soul Society just to see Shinji's stupid face.

But it was worth it, she realized. Shinji wanted to rebuild their relationship and was apologizing for what he did to her, without even knowing what it was.

Shinji never apologized. He barely even admitted his own mistakes out loud. He preferred to pretend they never happened, even though he would quietly mule over them for a century.

But he was making efforts and apologizing for her sake.

Maybe, if they both made efforts and worked together, maybe things would work out.

\--------------------------------

The sun was just starting to set when Rangiku left her office for Momo’s place.  
She had spent the whole day alternatly daydreaming and panicking until her Captain entered her office and shouted at her for not having worked at all. Then, he tried keeping her at the office late to force her to actually get some work done, but she talked his ear off instead, telling him about her date with Momo and asking him for advice.  
She was halfway through asking him which dress his sister would be most impressed by when he finally snapped.

“Ok Matsumoto, stop! It doesn’t matter. Just go like that. She doesn’t need someone else trying to impress her or some shit. She needs you to be you.”

Rangiku thought about it for a second and realized he was right. After every disappointment Momo had been through, she needed someone who would be honest and open with her. Rangiku had been so surprised and stressed by this date that she forgot it.

“You’re right...” She said. “So…? Do I go like this? In uniform?”

“Yes.” He sighed. “Listen, I trust you. I really think you’re gonna be good for Momo. You know her and you care about her and you wouldn’t manipulate her even if your life depended on it. You just gotta relax, okay?”

Rangiku sighed and slumped on a nearby chair. “It’s just… This is so unexpected, I’m scared this might be a mistake. I’m scared she might just be sad and need comfort and not really feel anything for me...”

“If she told you she likes you, it’s because she does. She might be a bit of a girouette and change crush super fast but she always loves deeply. Even if her feelings are new, they’re sincere.”

Rangiku smiled, feeling like a weigh lifted off her shoulders. “Thanks Captain!”

“Now go. Not only are you useless at helping me, you’re slowing me down.” Rangiku cried in offense. “Plus, your date is soon, don’t be late.”

Rangiku looked at the clock on the wall. He was right, she should already have left.

“Thanks Captain!” She shouted as she ran out.

“Have a nice date.” He mumbled, sure she was too far to hear him.

And with that, she was out, shunpo’ing as fast as she could toward Momo’s place.

When Ran-chan arrived, Momo was cooking dinner. She had planned a simple date: having dinner at her place and then climb on the roof to look at the stars and cuddle together. She didn’t know if it would do but she hadn’t had time to plan anything else.

She opened the door and smiled at the beautiful woman. “Hey, Ran-chan! I’m sorry, you’ll have to wait a bit, I’m not done making dinner yet.”

Rangiku noticed Momo was wearing her fluffy pink apron and her favorite socks. She looked so relaxed and comfortable, it was cute. “It’s okay, we can cook together.” She answered as Momo let her in.

“On a first date?” Momo asked as Rangiku was taking off her shoes. “Ain’t that a bit too soon?”

Rangiku smiled, putting on the slippers Momo kept for guests. “Maybe with someone you barely know but we’ve known each other for a while Momo.”

Momo still looked conflicted. “But you’re a guest.”

“And a friend.” Rangiku said. She started making her way toward the kitchen, Momo following her. “Come on! You don’t trust me with your cooking material? What are we making?”

“It’s more that I don’t trust you with food.” Rangiku cried in fake offense. “Last time, you tried putting chocolate with anchovies.”

“Excuse you, it was good.” Affirmed Rangiku.

“It was horrible! I don’t know how you managed to eat that!” Momo took out a green apron with a frog drawing on it. She had found it during her last trip to the living world.

“Come on Momo! Where is your taste for adventure?” Rangiku teased as she bent forward to help Momo put the apron around her neck. Then, she turned around.

“I don’t have one when it comes to food.” Momo said as she tied Rangiku’s apron.

“Okay, okay.” Rangiku lifted her hands in surrender. “I’ll avoid experimenting when I’m eating with you. Now what are we making?” Rangiku asked, standing on her tiptoes to try to peek into the pot simmering on the stove.

“Curry.” Momo answered, lifting the lid to take a look at her work. “I need to stir it, could you cut the tomatoes for me please?”

“Yes Captain!” Rangiku exclaimed before going to work. Momo smiled at that.

Ran-chan seemed to be trying to help her loosen up. It was okay. This may be their first date but this was Ran-chan after all. They were friends. Momo didn’t need to be so formal.

“Thank you for agreeing to this date, Ran-chan. I hope you will have a good time with me.” Murmured Momo with a gentle smile.

Rangiku lifted her head from the cut-board she was using.

“Momo,” Rangiku put her knife down and took a step toward Momo, bringing them to stand right in front of each other. “I’m glad to be here. I’m really happy you asked me out. I didn’t expect it but I’m happy.” Rangiku took Momo’s hands. “I want to date you Momo.”

Momo smiled. “Thanks Ran-chan. I really want to date you too.”

They stood there, feeling comfortable in each other’s presence. This date was nice, cooking together was nice, the hint of domesticity was nice.

They finished cooking, ate dinner, spent the end of the evening cuddling on the roof. Nothing particular happened.  
Except, it felt like something was going on, like things were slowly changing between them.  
Their touches became more tender, more intimate; their looks to each other more loving. Cuddling at the end of the night felt different from the times when they hugged to comfort each other. It was just as comfortable, but felt more like coming home.

When Momo took Ran-chan back inside so they wouldn’t fall asleep on the roof, she felt like she had truly found someone who would make her happy.

“Next time, I’ll take you on one of the fairy-tail dates you always fantasize about.” Ran-chan whispered before falling asleep on the guest futon. “I want to woo you properly.”

Momo blushed so hard she felt like her face was about to burst in flames.

\-----------------------------------

It was almost midnight when Shinji decided to track Hiyori's reiatsu. He knew he was supposed to leave her alone so she could sort out her feelings but he was getting worried. She was taking so long, what if she didn't want to forgive him?

He found her hidden under a tree, next to the river.

“You sneak, found the best place to hide from the world.” He called out as he stepped between the leaves, trying to warn her of his presence.

She didn't answer, just rolled in the grass and mumbled. Coming to sit next to her, he realized she was actually asleep.

“So that's why you weren't coming back...” He smiled fondly.

He took a moment, enjoying the peace and quiet. He had missed times like that, during which he could stay with her and do nothing but love her. Being able to admire her openly, her surprisingly soft hair and her adorable freckles. Gosh he loved her freckles! During the summer, instead of tanning, she got more freckles blooming everywhere on her body. Every time, Shinji was transfixed by how beautiful that made her.

He hoped one day, he would be allowed to openly tell her how much he loved her.

Suddenly, Shinji was hit by the realization. The Takoyaki vendor had been right, he was madly in love with her. He hid his face in his hands, this was all so embarrassing! He was an idiot for not realizing it sooner!

Next to him, Hiyori began to stir.

He put his embarrassment aside, not wanting her to notice. Instead he greeted her: “Hey...” He murmured. He knew Hiyori would get scared if she woke up next to a man she didn't know and would most likely hit him. “It's me, Hiyori... Are you okay?”

“My back hurts...” She grunted.

“From sleeping a few hours in the grass? My... You're getting old.” He joked.

She puffed in offense and lightly slapped him on the arm. “I'm not old, just fancier than when you met me. Now, I actually require a bed to sleep in.”

“Well, you're always welcome in mine.” Slipped out of his mouth. Oops, he didn't mean to say that out loud. She fixed him like she was trying to decide if he just flirted with her or not. He kind of did, but under this gaze, he felt nervous and backpedaled. “I mean, the same way you always were.” She looked kind of disappointed for a second and it made Shinji's heart skip a bit at the implication. But now was not the time, he came for something much more important.

“Anyway, I came here to apologize properly for choosing Aizen as my Vice-Captain. I was an idiot for not getting the thousands obvious signs you gave me and not realizing that you wanted the job. I'm sorry. If I had known, I would have chosen you immediately!”

Hiyori felt herself blushing at the offhanded compliment. It's like it was all she needed for all her pain and insecurities about the affair to vanish. “What about watching over Aizen?”

“That wouldn't have mattered compared to the possibility of working with my best friend!” He smiled.

“I wanted to work with you too...” She murmured, not looking him in the face.

“I know, I'm so sorry Hiyori...” He hides his face in her shoulder. “Remember that time we were eating together and I told you I didn't know who to choose? You looked so sad when you said it was normal to look for other candidates... And I didn't understand... I'm so stupid.”

She remembers. At the time, it had hurt to know he even had a doubt. Now, she knows he wouldn't have had one if he knew. “Stop beating yourself up... I'm forgiving you.”

“Really?” He looked up, all hopeful puppy face.

“Yes, you idiot. I had already moved on after the Karakura Battle because it felt silly loosing you over something like that.” She smiled a bit to herself. “But it's nice knowing that it was all a misunderstanding and that you... That you wouldn't have chosen someone else over me.”

“Hiyori...” He said solemnly. “I would always choose you, for everything. You are the most important person in the world for me, you always come first.”

After a moment of shock, she laughed and fell right into his arms for a hug.

“What's so funny?” He squeaked in offense, but hugged her right back.

“You're a sap.” She answered.

He thought back to how much of a sap he actually was about Hiyori since, well, forever. “You don't know how much...” He admitted.

“Please, don't...” She moaned like it physically pained her.

“Ok, no, seriously.” He tried to get back on track, pushing her away gently to look her in the eyes. “We gotta talk to each other. I don't ever want a misunderstanding like that to happen ever again.”

“I know...” She sighed. “But, you know how hard it is to me to open up when I'm hurt. It makes me feel vulnerable and I hate it.”

“I never wanna hurt you, Hiyori. When I do, it's always on accident and I always regret it instantly.” He paused for a second, looking into Hiyori's eyes to try to prove her how honest he was. “Like when I left the living world...” He whispered. “I hurt you and I'm sorry. I honestly wanted you to come with me. Tell me, Hiyori, is that what hurt you so much?”

She took in a breath, feeling her heart squeeze at the memory of this fight. She looked in his eyes and only saw genuine regret there. She gathered her courage before answering.

“It hurt so much when you said you were leaving. I thought we would always be together and... I felt like you were abandoning me, like I was loosing you forever and like you were choosing someone else again.”

“But that's not why you cried, is it?” He pushed a bit, trying to understand.

She shook her head. “It's because you said you wanted to go home...” Shinji frowned in confusion. “And I realized you didn't feel at home in the living world.”

Shinji sighed. He understood why it must have hurt to Hiyori, who was feeling perfectly fine in the living world, but it wasn't the case for him and he couldn't lie to her.

“It's true. I always felt kinda out of place in the living world. People would stare at us, the food was weird and we had to hide in a falling apart bunker. I missed the Soul Society. But I didn't wanna leave you Hiyori. I never did. I was heartbroken when I realized you were not coming with me. I missed you every single day.”

“Couldn't you stay with me? Stay for me?”

He smiled. “I would have if you'd asked.” They smiled at each other for a second before Shinji's face shadowed again. “But you didn't. You told me to fuck off.”

She did. He came to her room before leaving. He wanted to say goodbye. She insulted him and threw the door in his face.  
She wanted to apologize, but she didn't know how to so she hugged him instead.

“I still miss you, Hiyori.” He whispered.

She squeezed him harder. “I miss you too.”

“Would you like to come live here? The people have changed, Aizen is gone and they are all very sorry. He is the one who manipulated the Central 46 into banning us. And they're all dead, now. And... And that way we could see each other everyday.”

She shook her head. “I can't. Not yet. I still need more time. Sorry.”

“It's okay. Take all the time you need.” He reassured her. “Will you come visit me?”

“Of course you dumbass.” She laughed wetly.

“Good.” He said. “Now, no more sadness. For either of us. It's okay. We talked it out and understand each other and we will get through this together, like we always did.”

“Yeah, right.” Her laugh was more honest this time.

“Don't make fun of me, I'm trying to cheer us up!”

“Yeah, yeah...” She looked at him. He was right here with her, in the middle of the night and they were having a heart to heart. He said they had to be honest to each other. Maybe this was the perfect time...

“Shinji.” She started, attracting his attention. “If we are addressing everything unsaid between us, there's something I need to tell you.”

Shinji started worrying. Was there another unsolved issue between them that he had forgotten?

Hiyori was nervous. She rehearsed this confession a thousand time when she was still bedridden and didn't have anything else to do to kill time, but now that it was the moment to actually say the words... She couldn't find them. She lost every single speech she imagined.

But Shinji was still waiting and she couldn't make him wait any longer so she improvised. “So... It's been a while now, I can't remember when it started exactly and I had no intention of telling you ever but... When I almost died in the Karakura Battle, I saw how much you cared about me and I thought... Maybe I should tell him...”

She took a breath, threw a glance his way to make sure he hadn't run away and kept going. Her face was so hot she felt like it was going to explode any second now. “I'm in love with you.” She whispered.

Suddenly, it was like the dam had broken and she started talking, telling him everything.  
“I love you and the way you always try to please everyone and work so hard even though you pretend not to care. I love the fact that you trust me enough to show me how you really feel.  
I love how I can always count on you even when I don't expect it, how you're always there on the sideline, giving me the space I need but ready to jump in and help me the second I need it. Even metaphorically, even when it's about emotional support.  
I love when you show me you care about me because even if I don't give a fuck about what everyone else think, your opinion is the one that matters to me, and knowing that you love me just the way I am, it's so important to me...”

She stopped, breathless, and realized she had said the whole thing without a pause.

And that Shinji didn't say a thing during that time. Worried, she chanced a glance at him.

Shinji was covering his mouth with his hands, eyes shining and trying very hard not to sob.

“Are you crying?” Hiyori asked, shocked.

“That's the most beautiful thing you've ever said to me.” He mumbled, tears spilling.

Hiyori gave him an inquiring look. What did this mean? Was he happy? Was he sad?

He hugged her, sobbing into her shoulder while she patted him awkwardly on the back.

“I love you too.” He said.

“Oh... So this is happy crying?” He nodded. She laughed, relieved. “You're so dramatic! Couldn't just say yes like a normal person, could you?”

“Say yes to what?” He asked, drying his tears and brushing his hair back.

“To dating me.” 

“Well, you didn't ask.” He said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“You're gonna make me say it, ain't you?” She growled.

“Yes!” He looked so excited. He would be disappointed if she refused. Plus, after what she'd already spilled... 

“Shinji, do you wanna date me?” She asked.

“Yes!” He cried before throwing himself into her arms so hard they fell down in the grass. “I love you so much, Hiyori! So so so so much! This is the best day of my life!” He nuzzled into her neck, making her laugh.

“Come on, I said stop with the sappy shit.”

“Who is the sappy one? You just confessed your undying love to me by listing all the reasons why you love me.”

“Well, I hope you paid attention because that's the first and last time!” She threatened, embarrassed.

“No! Hiyori, please!” He begged, pouting.

“No.”

“Hiyori! My love! My princess! My Great Maiden!”

“No!” She screamed, scandalized. “No pet names! Ever!”

“My sweetheart! My honey!”

“Stop it!” She screamed, hitting him upside the head and trying to push him away.

“Okay okay.” He said. “I'm just teasing you.”

“Well, stop it before I decide that I regret asking you out.”

He looked at her fondly before poking her in the ribs. “Don't you dare!”

She squealed. She was super ticklish there. Then, she kicked him in the face on reflex.

“Try that again and you'll regret it!”

He laughed, not taking the threat seriously.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, looking at her with all the adoration he felt.

“Yes.” She murmured, face hot.

For their first kiss, he decided to go slow with just a peck on her lips. He wanted to make sure she felt comfortable kissing him. After a few more kisses, though, it looked like she liked it as much as he did.

Hiyori loved kissing Shinji. As expected, his lips were super soft and the inside of his mouth was warm and wet. What she hadn't expected was the way he let little moans slip every time she bit his lower lip or sucked his tongue; but she definitely wasn't complaining!

Underneath Hiyori, Shinji was having a mental breakdown. He didn't know what happened or how he ended up in this position. He just knew that at one point she bit his lower lip and now he was loosing his mind. Every time she bit him, he felt electricity course down his spine. Oh god, he wanted her to bit him everywhere!

At one point, Hiyori found Shinji's tongue piercing. She had missed it until then because it was as warm as the rest of Shinji's mouth and she had expected it to be cold. He was wearing the one with a big ball on top of his tongue instead of the usual one with a ring. She let go of his tongue and sucked on the ball instead. The texture was surprisingly smooth and the metallic taste mixed with Shinji's own was kind of addictive. Plus, the moment she started sucking a bit harder, Shinji let out a strangled moan. God, she could suck on that thing forever.

After a while, Hiyori withdrew to catch her breath. Shinji stayed there, on the ground, looking a bit dazed. “Wow, you're good at this...” He whispered. She blushed, not knowing how to answer that.

“Come on,” He said after he'd managed to ground himself. “it's late. I should be taking you home.”

She agreed.

They crashed in Shinji's bed and immediately, Hiyori was cuddling close to Shinji. He smiled, happy that they were back to cuddling instead of fighting all the time.

“I love you.” He whispered, kissing her forehead.

They slept peacefully, until Hiyori kicked him in her sleep and pushed him off the bed.


	3. Epilogue

It was a few months later when Shinji discovered that Momo and Rangiku were dating.  
He was going to his office early because he knew Hiyori was coming and she had taken the habit of messing with his paperwork when she arrived before him.  
She pretended she was getting used to the way he worked to get ready for when she would become his Vice-Captain but he was sure it was her petty way of punishing him for making her wait.  
Today, he had planned on taking her on a romantic dessert tasting tour, he didn’t want to lose time cleaning behind her. Especially because he hoped they could make a last stop in his bed before she had to leave. Anyway, so!

He was arriving at the office when he heard Rangiku’s voice around the corner.

“Have a nice day, Honey.” He heard her say.

Then, he rounded the corner and the tall woman came into view. She was bent down, kissing his Vice-Captain on the lips. He stopped dead in his track. Wow, he didn’t know those two were dating. He was about to backtrack and give them a little privacy when Rangiku took a step back and said:

“Hello Hirako-san.” Shit, he got caught.

“Hello, don’t mind me, I’m just passing by.” He said as he hurried to his office.

When he turned around to close the door behind himself, Rangiku was looking at him with a smug smirk. She was clearly thinking something along the line of ‘See, I’m the one she chose in the end.’. And, call him childish if you want but he needed to have the last word, so he said:

“Oh and, congratulations you two.”

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So, this is the end, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it!  
> (My first work on this website! I feel like a proud mama!)


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